motor removal for timing chain?

[Glen4X4]

Ok, my friend his explorer we think it maybe the timing chain tensioner because when he first starts it for the day most of the time something is rattling then after its runnin for 2-5 minutes it goes away but i guess could be bearings too but I was lookin in the Haynes manual and it says we need to pull the motor to do the tensioner, is there another way of doing it without pullin the motor or is that the only option?

 

[Glen4X4]

its a first Gen. its also a 92

 

[Glen4X4]

I believe in the haynes manual it says CHAIN and i heard cases of rattles that its usually the tensioner and not bearings, so thats what I'm thinkin it is, I was hopin we wouldnt have to rip his motor out to do it, and Im really not sure it we'd have the room or not. I know the sports have more room in the engine bay than the 4door explorer.

 

[MrShorty]

The 4.0 OHV doesn't have any kind of reputation for wearing timing chains or tensioners. Have you checked if the noise isn't valve train components? The cologne engines do have a rep for having noisy valve trains. My 2.9 would rattle like that on initial start up until oil got to the lifters. Long before I started to remove the engine to mess with the timing chain, I'd be checking out the valve train.